


Five times Peter called Tony "Dad" and one time Tony called Peter "Son".

by noalarmsandnosuprises



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Marvel Universe, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, sorry if its bad, this is my first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-09 01:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18906898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noalarmsandnosuprises/pseuds/noalarmsandnosuprises
Summary: The five times Peter Parker called Tony Stark "Dad" and the one time Tony called Peter "Son" back.





	1. Mr. Dad

It was a boring night. Peter had stopped a grand theft bicycle, stolen a knife from a thug and attempted a career as a trapeze artist on a web he’d strung between two buildings. _Gotta stay on the lookout,_ he reminded himself. _Mr. Stark might need me._

Germany was still fresh in his mind – attacking Captain America and his friends was exhilarating. Mr Stark had seemed happy when he’d taken his shield and deflected the attacks Captain made. Peter had felt proud that he’d taken down (temporarily) two super-soldiers and a birdman. He’d hoped for another call between that and now. Maybe he didn’t do well enough.

Still, that didn’t stop him from updating Mr. Stark, or, as close as he could get, his bodyguard Happy. He left voicemails daily and updates to Happy’s phone. “Hey Happy,” Peter began, swinging his legs absent-mindedly upon the top of a mining company’s building. “Or Mr. Stark, if you’re listening. You probably don’t even listen to these at all.” Spider-man laughed quietly. He waved a at a nine-year-old on the street and kept talking. “Stopped a bicycle theft today, and a guy with a knife. Haven’t done much else. Just, um, give me a call if you need anything.”  


Peter stifled a disappointed sigh and glared at the street. A sudden sharp noise a block away almost made him drop his phone. _Gunshots?_ “Sorry Mr. Stark, Happy, just heard something cool! Update you later!” He dropped his phone in his red pocket and swung off the building, firing webs at dimly lit buildings silhouetted along the Queens skyline.

~

Tony Stark was four things. A genius, a billionaire, a playboy and a philanthropist. Not one of those things was a father figure or mentor. According to at least more than half the human population, he was a self-absorbed dickhead, pardon his French, who focused only on his wealth and spent ninety percent of the time drunk. (To be fair, they weren’t wrong.)

Still, a small part of Tony felt an attachment to the kid – the short stack of never-ending energy. Peter was only fifteen, something he worried about (Do you hear that? Worried?) frequently. Fifteen was no age to be swinging around Queens in a latex suit, saving people. Superpowers or not. And so, Tony listened to every voicemail Peter sent to Happy’s phone. He had them all forwarded directly to him. Not that he’d ever in a million years admit it, but he loved hearing about the kid’s day. Peter was such a good soul – most kids who suddenly gained superpowers definitely wouldn’t be using them to help old ladies cross the road and help single mothers with groceries. Fifteen-year-old Tony certainly wouldn’t.

“Boss, Peter has sent an audio message. Would you like me to play it?”

“Sure, FRIDAY.” The genius leant back in his chair and watched the slowly dimming New York skyline.

“ _Hey Happy_.” Peter’s soft voice filled the air. He could hear wind whistling in the background – the Spiderkid was probably backflipping off a skyscraper. “ _Or Mr. Stark, if you’re listening. You probably don’t even listen to these at all._ ”

Tony’s heart clenched. _You’re just like Howard,_ he thought. The message kept playing. “ _Stopped a bicycle theft today, and a guy with a knife. Haven’t done much else. Just, um, give me a call if you need anything_.” There was a pause, and then – “ _Sorry Mr. Stark, Happy, just heard something cool! Update you later!_ ”  


Tony Stark smiled. Typical Peter. Still, the previous comment haunted him. “Maybe I should be spending more time with him,” Tony wondered aloud.

“Would you like me to locate Peter Parker’s location, sir?” FRIDAY’s calming voice answered, resounding around the quiet lab. He picked up the webshooter upgrade he was currently working on -  4.3 – and deposited it in the box marked _Spidey._ “Yeah, sure, Fri. Maybe he can come over for dinner or something?”

“That sounds good, Boss. I think he would like that.” Boy, was Tony glad he had such a sentient AI. “Peter Parker is currently in a broken window in East Harlem, sir.”

“What? Is he okay? Check vitals, FRIDAY.” Tony startled, whirling around to face the nearest camera on the ceiling. DUM-E whirred over, beeping violently. _I swear to god, everyone loves Peter._ “It’s fine, DUM-E.”

“Peter Parker has sustained three gunshot wounds, one in his stomach and two in his left thigh. Two of his ribs are possibly broken. He has sealed his wounds with webbing. Six men have also been webbed and according to security cameras, one is on the run from police, who have arrived on the scene.”

 _Ohmygod._ Tony’s heart almost stopped then and there. “Open window,” He choked out, double-tapping the Arc Reactor on his chest and flying out in the direction of Peter.

~

Peter groaned into the plywood wall.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” He mumbled. All that came out was a pained scream and a trickle of blood that dropped on his suit. _Oh, that’s not good._

There had been seven men in the alleyway. Some sort of weapons deal, maybe? Or maybe a planned attack. Peter had webbed up two before the rest figured out what was going on, and even better, they suddenly decided Spider-man was going to become target practice. He had been weaving between bullets in mid-air, his lungs burning. The first bullet had entered his stomach, and Peter had doubled over in surprise long enough for someone else to take a successful shot at his thigh. He’d webbed up six before a short man in a Yankees cap shot his leg and he tumbled into a glass window in an office building. Luckily, the employees had heard the gunshots and previously vacated. Unluckily, Peter was dying alone.

 _May,_ he thought blearily. _Oh no, Ned, MJ, Mr Stark –_

His spidey-sense exploded. The plywood wall next to him collapsed and something stepped in, loud and red. “I’ll fight you in a sec, hang on,” The teen mumbled before promptly collapsing.

~

“Mr St’rk?”

Tony looked down at the boy in his arms as he flew over New York. Peter’s brown curls were tousled and encrusted with blood. His left eye was sporting a shiner Peter could hardly see through but the boy still managed to smile up at Tony’s face, hidden by the gold armour. He had called Bruce on the way over – he was currently preparing the med bay for Peter’s arrival. Peter had been unresponsive apart from the hilarious but concerning comment he’d made upon Iron Man’s arrival. He was falling in and out of consciousness, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Hey, Spider-boy.”

“It’s Sp’der-MAN,” Peter said defensively, scrunching up his face. Tony felt him relax. “You a’tually h’re?” The teen slurred tiredly, wincing in pain as Tony veered left.

“Yeah, kiddo. I’m here. Can you stay awake, Peter? Tell me about your Lego death star?” The genius prompted, speeding towards the Avengers tower fast as light.

“D’nt wanna. H’rts, Mr Stark?” Tony’s chest ached. Peter was only a boy. Jesus Christ, he was getting May to ground him indefinitely after this. “Yeah, buddy. You’re gonna be okay though.”

Peter smiled suddenly. “Y’ah,” He mumbled. “Th’nks, Mr Dad.”

Tony’s heart stopped for what seemed like the fiftieth time today. “It’s alright, kiddo,” He said to Peter. “FRIDAY?”

“Caught on camera sir. Would you like me to save the clip?”

Tony looked at the now-unconscious teen in his arms, landing on the Heli-Pad where Bruce was waiting with a white stretcher. Spider-man fell out of his arms and onto the fabric, immediately wheeled away into the medical room of the Avengers tower. “Of course.” Tony tapped the Arc Reactor again and stepped out of the gold and red suit, jogging to keep up with the teen who had pushed past the genius’s walls in a way no-one else had before.


	2. Father's Day

Peter was panicking. Hard.

This was the scariest thing he had ever done. Shootout? Boring. Captain America airport fight? Fun. Building collapsing? Don’t know her. None of those things compared to buying a Father’s Day present.

Peter’s parents – Richard and Mary Parker – had died in a plane crash before Peter had really gotten to know them. Ben was the first real father he lost, bleeding out in his hands just a month after Father’s Day. For a while it was just him and May, against the world, while his friends enjoyed their nuclear families.

And then came Spiderman, and Mr Stark. After almost dying, they’d bonded and grown closer together. Peter spent almost every second weekend at the Avengers tower, building webshooters and fixing Iron Man suits. Peter had deliriously called Mr. Stark “Mr. Dad” once, after taking multiple bullet wounds. FRIDAY had told him a week after the accident when he asked the AI if he dreamed up what he had said. Unfortunately, he hadn’t. However, Tony Stark had placed the recording in  file named “Underoos”, along with other embarrassing moments of Peter Mr. Stark “found adorable”. FRIDAY’s words, not his.

It was May who suggested he buy a present for Mr. Stark after a teary night of home videos and listening to Ben’s favourite songs. He hadn’t bought anything for a solid six months, saving up for Father’s Day. Which turned out to all be for nothing, because _what the hell were you supposed to buy a billionaire._

“Can I help you?” A bored-looking employee from the department store Peter had basically fallen into jumped in front of his gaze. “Who are you shopping for today, young man?”

_My mentor, who’s probably richer than everyone in NYC put together. Tony Stark. Iron Man._

“Um,” Peter stared blankly at the woman’s face. “My, uh –“

Peter’s phone took this opportunity to loudly vibrate in his shirt pocket. “Sorry,” He said to the employee, not at all sorry, and pressed accept.

“Yo, Spidey-pants, you won’t believe what I just got.” _I love you, Ned._

“What?” The teen responded, turning his back to the woman and walking out of the store.

“Y’know that video game – the one with the cool graphics on display in the mall? Well, I came home, and guess what’s sitting on my bed? The video game! Dude, it’s so cool, you have to come over..” Despite Peter’s enhanced hearing, Ned’s voice was drowned out by the spiderling’s thoughts. Father’s Day was in two days. Yahoo answers weren’t helping, and neither was Reddit. For the first time in his life, technology seemed to be betraying him. _Rude,_ Peter thought as he stared at diamond-encrusted watches and died a little inside.

“Peter? You still there?”

The boy’s phone slipped from his ear and his right hand dove to catch it. “Whoops, yeah sorry, man. Got distracted. What about the game?”

Ned sighed on the other end, but he didn’t sound mad at all. “What are you doing?”

“Uh,” Peter cleared his throat. “Don’t laugh. I’m buying Mr. Stark a, er, Father’s day gift.”

There was a beat of silence from Ned’s end and Peter wondered if Ned was having an aneurysm from laughing so hard. His best friend’s voice floated through the crinkly speaker. “Dude, that’s so sweet.”

Peter snorted, running a hand through his unruly curls. “The thing is – what the hell are you supposed to buy for someone like Mr. Stark? He could buy my entire apartment building with the spare change he finds in his couch.”

Ned laughed. “But seriously, dude. Get him something sweet. Something money can’t buy and all that jazz?”

“You sound like a walking Rom-Com, Ned. I’ll see you tonight?” After hearing an affirmative response, Peter hung up and let out a sigh. He was screwed.

 

~

 

“I’m home!”

Peter hung his keys on the rack beside the door and locked it, marching into the kitchen. His and May’s apartment was small – two bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom – but cozy. Family photos basically lined the walls. Mismatched frames of a smiling Peter, aged three. Family photos of Richard and Mary, Peter’s parent’s wedding, Ben’s police department graduation photos, Peter’s first day at Midtown; Ben ruffling Peter’s hair, May holding the camera. The worn carpet gave way to a hardwood floor, where Aunt May was bustling around, serving dinner.

“How’d you go, honey?”

Spider-man sat down at the three-person table and stared at the burned meatloaf in front “Horrible.”

“Why?” May folded her wire-rimmed glasses and set them in front of her glass. She tucked a loose strand of chocolate hair behind her ear and poured Peter a glass of water, smiling. “I thought you guys knew everything about each other.”

“Yeah, well,” Peter swallowed a huge chunk of tasteless meatloaf. (It was only edible if you drowned it in tomato sauce first.) “I don’t know what to buy.”

“Something sweet. Like a cute, sentimental item.” May smiled broadly, taking a bite of her dinner.

“That’s what Ned said.” Peter groaned. May shrugged and abruptly spat out her food.

“I think I may have overcooked this,” She said thoughtfully. “Thai?”

~

“If you keep frowning, I’m going to have to draw you again.”

Peter lifted his head from the cafeteria table and stared at MJ. She was glaring playfully at the sulking teenager from a seat away, jiggling a teabag in a steaming mug up and down. “What’s wrong, Parker?”

He slumped back on the table, waving his lunch around. “I don’t know what to buy Mr. Stark.”

MJ blinked, confusion flashing across her face. It disappeared almost as quickly as it came. “For Father’s Day?”

“Peter ain’t got no daddy,” Sang an uninterested Flash Thompson from across the room. MJ chucked her teabag at his face and sighed.

“Waste of tea,” She said. “Get him something he’d appreciate. Like, a card, or one of those World’s Greatest Dad aprons or mugs or something.”  


“MJ,” Said Peter slowly. “You’re a genius.”   


“I know, Parker.”

 

~

“Boss, Peter Parker is approaching the lab.” “Let him in, Fri.”

Tony was hunched over Mark 51. The Iron Man suits had long since been perfected – he just enjoyed messing with the Nano-Tech and finding different, new ways for it to work. He could fit different weapons in the suit now – his latest could morph to change what he was dealing with. Need a shield? No problem.

“Hi, Mr. Stark.”

Peter stepped through the glass sliding doors, shifting from one foot to another awkwardly. He was obviously hiding something behind his back – the kid wasn’t very good at secrets. He hoped he wasn’t hiding a giant knife someone had stuck in him from patrol. Tony was going to have to make this kid a more protective suit, Jesus Christ.

“Hey, Underoos. How was your week?”

“Stressful,” Peter laughed, settling down a poorly-wrapped package on the nearest workbench. It seemed to be decorated in googly-eyes and smiley-faces. _So, not a stab wound then. “_ I couldn’t figure out what to get you.”

“For?” Said Tony, his eyebrows knitting together. His birthday was a while ago, wasn’t it? And Christmas wasn’t for another couple of months, right? _I swear to god, If I forgot about Christmas again –_

“Um,” Stuttered the teen, shoving the package. “Father’s Day?”  


Oh.

After Howard had shipped him off to boarding school, he’d stopped celebrating father’s day. It was probably going to be a little bit hard to make pancakes when you weren’t even in the same state. As an added bonus, Howard had seemed way happier than when Tony had actually given a fuck. Needless to say, Father’s day had been removed from his calendar for a very, very long time. “Pete, you didn’t have to.” He said, softly, smiling.

“I wanted to,” Peter said determinedly. He deposited the package in Tony’s arms. “It was hard trying to figure out what to get a billionaire, but I, er, - open it.” Tony carefully pulled back the paper, trying not to damage any googly eyes. He shot Peter a grin. “I love the paper. Make it yourself?” Peter giggled, clearly nervous. Tony pulled out the present.

A red coffee mug sat in the middle of the paper, embellished with gold text. WORLD’S GREATEST DAD, it read. Peter had drawn a line through the last word with gold sharpie and written “Mentor” in his neatest handwriting.

“Aw,” Tony breathed. “I have a new favourite mug. Thankyou, Peter.”

The teen’s eyes widened as Tony pulled him in for a hug. Most of the time, the genius referred to Peter as anything but his given name – Underoos, Spidey, Spiderling, Spiderkid, Pete, Kiddo. The list was probably longer than the bible, and so it was unheard of for him to call Peter by his name. Peter took this sign as good news, and melted into the hug.

“Y’know, kiddo,” Tony said, his voice barely above a whisper. “This mug’s cute and all – I love the “mentor” bit, but if you, uh,” He swore quietly and started again. “You can call me Dad, if you wanted to. I wouldn’t mind.”

“I’d – that’d be great.” Peter replied, the tips of his ears flaming red. “I’d like that very much.”


	3. Peter, ft. The Avengers

FRIDAY was in Peter’s list of top ten favourite people (behind Karen, obviously). Of course, she didn’t really classify as a person, but did that matter? Not really. As soon as he stepped out of the cold autumn weather and into one of the many elevators in the Avengers tower, FRIDAY immediately turned the heating on full blast and set the elevator to the floor his room was on. Peter thanked her, ducking out of the elevator to drop his bag off.

 “Boss is currently in the common room,” FRIDAY said when Peter walked back in, without Peter having to ask. Peter wondered if he could hear a smile in her comforting Irish lilt.

This week had been hectic – he had two exams on Monday and an assessment due on Tuesday that he totally didn’t complete the night before. He’d stayed up all night on Sunday with Tony studying for his Spanish and physics exams before basically collapsing into DUM-E and having to stay the night in the bedroom Tony had given to Peter. Every week it was becoming more and more like his own room at home – last weekend he and Mr. Stark had painted the walls red. When he told Ned, his best friend had almost fainted. _“Tony freaking Stark painted your room with you? You have a room in the Avengers tower? Dude, your life is amazing!”_

The elevator dinged pleasantly. Arms full of his physics exam, Peter didn’t notice the remaining Avengers scattered throughout the floor, who immediately quietened at the teen’s presence.

“Hey, Dad, guess who got full marks on their physics exam!” The teen announced cheerily, bounding into the room. He’d been calling Tony “Dad” unconsciously now. Unknown to him, Black Window tumbled over the back of the couch and dragged a stunned Hawkeye down with her. The pair were safe – Peter didn’t look up.

He frowned at his paper, realising with a jolt it was his Spanish quiz results he was holding and not the physics exam he had been looking to forward to showing Tony. Without making eye contact, he turned out of the room. “Wrong paper!” He yelled, asking FRIDAY to take him back to his room.

~

Natasha peeped out from behind the couch. Her mouth was open in a sort of shocked grin, the kind that would appear on a fourteen-year-old’s face after ripping a joke. Clint beside her looked confused.

“I thought I was the only one with a secret family?” He asked, his forehead crinkling.

“Oh my god, Tony,” Rhodey whispered from the counter, his coffee abandoned. “Who’s the mother? How old is he?”

Tony supressed a laugh and opened his mouth. “Guys, he’s not-“

“The man of Iron has a son?” Asked the god of thunder, looking more confused than the inhabitants of the room. He had abandoned his usual battle-like clothes for a t-shirt and jeans, although his hammer remained at his side. His fingers twitched towards it. “Or is he an imposter?”

“No, Thor, I think Tony’s just been telling a fib,” Giggled Natasha, her red hair falling over her eyes. “He’s adorable, though. When’s he coming back?”

“Peter’s not mine!” Cried Tony, his hands flying about.

“Are you sure?” Asked Rhodey, picking up the mug Tony had been obscuring. “This looks pretty father-son like to me.” His nose crinkled for a second. “Wait, did Pepper buy this? I swear to god –“

His question remained unanswered, because the elevator doors pinged open, revealing the teen. His jaw dropped, the papers in his arms floating to the floor. Immediately, a hush fell upon the room. Rhodey’s mouth glued shut, his eyes widening. Clint moved a his left hand into a closed fist and slid it under the flat surface his right hand created. The only person who moved was Thor, who dropped his hammer on the floor. Tony winced at the crack it left.

“Holy – you’re the avengers.”

“What’s left of them, yes,” Supplied Vision, floating through the floor below them. Tony swore loudly“Good afternoon, Peter.”

“You know him?” Asked Nat, ignoring Clint’s request. Vision nodded, his cape bouncing. “Peter Parker frequents the tower almost every weekend.”

“How have we not met you yet, son of Tony?” Asked Thor.

“I, um, wait, what? I’m not Mr. Stark’s son.” The spiderling’s face was reddening, bypassing pink and turning straight to maroon.

“Peter Parker is the son of Richard and Mary Parker. Tony Stark is not Peter’s _biological_ parent.” Friday supplied from the ceiling. The teen had stopped, his face whitening.

“Pete…” Tony trailed off.

“I – I’m gonna go work, er, do homework,” He stuttered, literally flying into the elevator behind him and pressing the correct button so many times Tony was sure it was going to cave under the pressure.

The genius leapt up from his seat as the silver doors closed and marched towards the doors, jaw clenched. Rhodey looked at his friend. “Where the hell are you going? We’re not done yet, Tones.”

“I’m gonna go check on him. Follow me and I’ll test out my new repulsors on you. A slight warning: they’re improved.” With that, he left the room. What was left of the Avengers turned to the ceiling as FRIDAY confirmed the threat was false and the billionaire wasn’t going to laser them to death.

“He acts like a father would. If this young Peter isn’t his offspring, why did he call him ‘Dad’?” Thor questioned, gazing at the ceiling. There was no answer and the god turned to Clint and Natasha, who shrugged in unison.

Rhodey sat back in his seat, draining what was left of his coffee. “Are you sure we’ve never met him? His voice sounds familiar.” Colonel Rhodes racked his brains, leaning on the counter. _I’m getting too old for this_ , he thought. There was a resounding sound of agreement across the room.

“New mission,” Announced Natasha. “Who’s Peter Parker?”

~

If Tony didn’t come back to the common room for the rest of the night (or his personal quarters, for that matter), none of the Avengers said anything the next day. They had all seen the clip of Tony Stark running his calloused hands through Peter’s curly hair, falling asleep next to the boy with a look of peace upon his face that FRIDAY had played for them as they crowded around Natasha’s laptop, trying to figure out what the relationship between Peter and Tony was.

“That,” Said Thor, dramatically wiping away a tear, “Is the cutest thing I have ever laid eyes upon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah I know clints on cap's side but lets all pretend okay
> 
> also thank you all for the kudos & comments it makes my day :)


	4. Decathlon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter doesn't want to go to Nationals without a parent, so he decides he doesn't want to go at all. Tony has other plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update! enjoy!

**AcaDec – 4:27pm**

**my friends call me mj:** _Who’s going to Nationals? I need the permission slips back ASAP. (read by 6 people)_

**CodeNed:** _just got it signed. so, me_

**too fast for you:** _me. Penis isn’t going he doesn’t have parents to sign it or to come watch him_

**my friends call me mj:** _Wow, Eugene, so original! Just so you know, I can and will mute you. (read by 7 people)_

Peter aimed his phone at the pile of clothes in the corner of his room and threw it. “Screw you,” he mumbled, rolling into his pillow. Flash was a dick – he’d heard everything he said at least fifty thousand times before. Why did it still get under his skin?

 _You’re Spider-man, for God’s sake,_ he reminded himself. _You’re a superhero who’s fought Captain America, and the Winter Soldier. You’ve taken down criminals and the Vulture, and you can’t stand up to_ one _single bully? Pathetic._

Mr. Harrington had handed out the permission forms earlier in AcaDec practice. They’d made it to Nationals again, this year lead by MJ. It was being held in New York instead of Washington like last year. The event lasted for three days – two days of competition, one day for sightseeing. “No tall buildings, this time,” Mr Harrington had chuckled. “At least our hero’s nearby this time.” The room had laughed, remembering the time Spider-man – Peter – had saved them as they plummeted to their deaths inside the Washington Monument elevator. “Please get the form back, signed, by Monday next week. Most expenses will be covered by the school.” He then went on to talk about how everyone’s parents were more than welcome to come – in fact, they’re more than welcome. We’ve got seats reserved and a parent-and-student competition on the evening of the second day.”

And then Flash had piped up, a wicked grin on his smarmy face. “Aw, it’s too bad Penis’s parents can’t come. You’d have to crawl six feet under to ask them, Parker.” Peter had stared at his page in response. Peter had left the school grounds without saying another word.

“I won’t even go this year.” He promised himself aloud, tearing his mind away from the memory. “Who wants to spend a week with their bully, anyway?”

 

~

“Boss, Peter appears to be in distress.” FRIDAY informed Tony late one Wednesday, around the time Peter’s patrol started.

“What’s wrong?” Tony dropped his spanner and slid out from under the Ferrari, sprinting over to the latest Iron-Man suit. “FRIDAY, check vitals.” “Peter Parker is physically fine, sir.”

“Physically?” Tony asked, his hand falling away from the suit of armour. “What’s wrong?” He repeated.

“It appears Peter has been crying for a little while, boss. Karen recorded something about him not going this year, and a bully, although the video is taken from under a hoodie, sir.” FRIDAY informed him, her voice quiet.

“FRIDAY,” Said Tony. He silently said sorry to the teen. “Read the recent messages from Peter’s StarkPhone.”

“Sent to Peter’s decathlon group chat at four twenty-seven in the afternoon, ‘My Friends Call Me MJ’, also known as Peter’s friend MJ, wrote: Who’s going to Nationals? I need the permission slips back ASAP. ‘CodeNed’, also known as Ned Leeds, Peter’s best friend, replied, writing ‘Just Got It Signed. So Me.’ ‘Too fast for you’, also known as Eugene “Flash” Thompson, wrote: Me. Insert bad word here isn’t going, he doesn’t have parents to sign it.”

Tony stopped. Who the fuck was Flash Thompson? Why was he bullying Peter? “What was the bad word, Fri?”

“Another word for the male genitals. It begins with a P.” At Tony’s confusion, FRIDAY continued talking. “Pepper specifically asked for me to censor all rude or inappropriate words.” “Yeah, I don’t care about that.” The genius muttered, slumping onto the nearest workbench. He rested his face in his hands, blinking tiredly. He brushed his cropped hair backwards and rested his head in his palm. His hazel eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “FRIDAY,” He said sternly. “I’m going to need a copy of the permission note. I’m also going to need you to run a background check on Flash Thompson, and hack into the room Peter practices in with the decathlon team’s security footage. I’ll need every video where the two are in the room.” He paused briefly, thinking. After meeting the Spiderling, he hadn’t been exactly fair. He’d made it up to Peter after he stopped Tony’s plane from being hijacked by a criminal arms dealer and lifting an entire warehouse off his back in pyjamas on his homecoming night by becoming a more constant figure in his life and treating him how he had wanted to be treated with Howard. He wasn’t going to let the boy that had made his life so much better be tossed around like a mouldy sandwich.

~

Peter stared at the yellow bus through the windscreen of Happy’s car.

“What are you waiting for, kid? Go,” Happy shooed, gesturing wildly for Peter to get out of the car.

Somehow – maybe Peter hadn’t scrunched up the note enough – May had caught wind of the situation and signed his permission slip, because he’d gotten up this morning to go to school, fully prepared to sit alone without his friends (his phone was fully charged, headphones tangled in his pocket) when Happy’s black audi pulled up in front of the apartment complex and honked obnoxiously. “Is there a mission? Happy?” Peter had asked, confused, to which Happy replied, “Unless this mission is nationals, no. Get in.” Peter had stuttered out a confused reply, but Happy looked like he wanted to stab someone and the teenager did not want to be on the receiving end. He had bolted up the stairs and packed a suitcase not at all neatly.

“Can’t I stay with you?” Peter whined. “Or Da- Mr. Stark? It’s just a hassle for everyone-“

Happy clicked open the door. “Go.” He said. “Now.”  


Jaw clenched and hands wrapped so tightly around the plastic handle of his suitcase he worried it might snap, Peter watched as Happy sped off into the distance. He wanted to chase after the car, or go back home either to May’s apartment or the Avengers tower. Anything but this.

“Good morning, Peter,” Said Rodger Harrington, taking his suitcase out of his hands and immediately buckling.

“Oh, I’m sorry sir, here, let me.” Peter started towards the wilting teacher who waved him off. “Go practise. We have a competition to win,” He huffed, forcing Peter through the black, automated doors of the vehicle.

“Sup, Penis,” Flash jeered from the backseat, his phone out. “The bus to the cemetery left half an hour ago – what are you doing here?”

 _Screw you, universe_ , Peter thought bitterly, ignoring the bully and sliding in behind Ned.

“How long have you been rehearsing that one, Eugene? Maybe if you stopped thinking of dumbass comebacks and practiced, you’d be on the team.” MJ folded the top corner of her page and glared up at the spiderling. “Didn’t think you’d show, Parker.” Her voice was empty of malice and the corner of her mouth turned up as she spoke. On any other day Peter would have mentally cheered – an MJ smile was a rarity.

“Here I am,” Peter forced a grin, turning to Ned, who was busy pulling his laptop out of his backpack.

“I downloaded Star Wars: A New Hope yesterday for the bus,” He handed Peter an earbud and lowered his voice. “Are you going to save us again? Is this a mission? Am I your guy in the chair again?”

The boy blinked tiredly, shaking his head. He loved Ned to bits, but sometimes he was a real pain. “Didn’t even pack the suit, dude.”

“Dude,” Ned sounded wounded. He pressed play, the bus fading into the background.

~

“Why couldn’t you take a plane? Quinjet, even?”

“Too close. You’re fun.” Tony Stark scrolled through his phone, pretending to read probably important emails. After the fifth _Dear Mr. Stark, we request your presence,_ he deleted half his inbox and put his phone down with a sigh. _I’m going to get in trouble later,_ he thought, turning to Happy beside him.

The man in question wore a deep frown and an impeccable tuxedo (he probably should have mentioned May had a shift today). At every red light, he turned to glare at the billionaire next to him, who stared back innocently. “What?”

“You make me drive all the way to Queens to pick up _a child_ – the same child that’s been spamming my phone for the past six months – drop him off at Midtown, drive _all the way_ to your fucking tower, where the traffic is _horrendous_ , and take you to the exact place he’s going to be at?” Happy fumed, flicking his blinker on and making a left turn.

“..Yes?”

Happy let out a sigh, followed by a rather long string of curse words. “Just adopt him already. Would make my life much easier.”

Suddenly those emails didn’t seem so boring.

~

“If a ball is released from a height of 1.5 metres, what is the magnitude of the ball’s velocity when it’s 0.5 metres from the ground?”

The competition hall was filled with blazer-smothered teenagers and parents, siblings and teachers. The room radiated of deep heat and perfume. Peter’s eyes were watering.

A brown-haired girl from the opposing team buzzed in incorrectly, sinking down in her seat as the speaker’s words echoed throughout the hall. “Midtown?” The speaker asked. MJ buzzed in, her words fading in and out of Peter’s head.

He couldn’t focus. The teams were neck and neck – the score had been an angry game of pass the parcel for the past ten minutes. To make matters worse, Flash was drilling holes in Peter’s head with his gaze and the team’s parents had started to file in. Ned’s mum cheered loudly as Ned answered correctly. _Too bad May had to work,_ he thought, his heart sinking.

“Who introduced the theory of punctuated equilibrium?” Asked the speaker. Someone elbowed him in the ribs and Peter’s hand jerked towards the buzzer.

“Stephen Gould and Niles Eldredge?” The teenager asked.

“Correct,” Said the balding man. There was a loud whoop from the back. Peter craned his neck to see who it was – the voice sounded oddly familiar. A Mexican wave of heads followed his lead, turning to see who it was.

Sitting in between Cindy Moon’s father and Mr. Harrington was Tony Stark, his hands awkwardly stuffed into a blazer probably worth a quarter of a million dollars. He waved as Peter made eye contact, mouthing the words _Good job, champ. You got this._ Peter couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face –  Mr. Stark’s grin was infectious.

The speaker, who either hadn’t noticed the kerfuffle or was too old to recognise Tony Stark read the scores, and the next question. Spider-man sat up straighter in his seat. He felt like someone had pulled a building off his shoulders.

“We’re at a tie. Three questions left  - Maddelena Casulana is best known for what contribution?”

“She published the first book of madrigals written by a female composer.” MJ scowled at the girl who beat her to the answer.

“How many protons does uranium have?”

“92,” Said Peter, grinning; they had had this question in practice.

“Final question – In which family is an element in group 16, period 4 found?”

_“Hey kiddo, last question and then you can sleep, okay? Tell me,” Tony said, reading off an AcaDec study sheet, “Which family is an element in group 16, period 4 found?”_

_“The air one,” Peter had answered tiredly, his eyes drooping, Tony laughing in the background. “Oxygen family?”_

“Oxygen,” Peter slammed his hand on the buzzer.

“Correct! Midtown school of Science and Technology are the winners!”

There was an incredibly loud cheer from the back of the room – Tony was standing on his chair, whooping. He grinned and Peter grinned back.

~

“Why are you here?” Peter asked, walking over to Tony. He’d spent the last ten minutes elated, shaking the other teams hands and thanking the speaker.

“Aw, that’s a lovely greeting,” Mr. Stark smirked, sipping his coffee and high-fiving Peter.

“Sorry – I didn’t mean-“

“I know,” Laughed Tony.

“I thought, uh, didn’t May sign my note?” Peter looked up at the genius, forehead crinkling.

“I may have done an oopsie,” He said. “I’m kind of listed as your emergency contact and I signed a note and organised for Happy to take you.”

Spider-man stopped. “Why?”

Mr Stark deflated slightly, his shoulders slumping. “Howard never wanted to be a part of my life. I always hated him for that.” They walked past the groups of schools chattering excitedly and pointing at the duo. “It’s important you have people in your life to come and celebrate your achievements. You’re a good kid, Pete. You deserve the world.”

Peter blushed, his ears turning red. Tony smirked. “Plus,” He gestured to the shocked Flash Thompson looking their way, “Someone’s gotta kick his ass.”

The teen let out a laugh, wrapping his arms around Mr. Stark, who in turn, threaded his fingers through the boy’s hair. “Thankyou, Dad.”

 _I’m never gonna get used to that,_ Tony grinned, his heart melting. “You’re welcome, kiddo.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratory whisper. “I hear they’ve got a robot building competition in a couple of hours – let’s go win this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took me like half an hour to look up smart questions theyre prolly all wrong im not a child prodigy   
> sorry for the late update I got very distracted by sims 4. thank you all again for reading :)


	5. I'm sorry, Dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have some very short angst ft. badly written fight scenes

Peter Parker was in space.

Something that had never seemed real – no matter how many videos he watched or how many hours he studied it with Mr. Stark – it always seemed too far away to comprehend. “One day,” Tony would say as they finished another Star Wars episode for the thousandth time. “We’ll go up there. I’d like to see the stars when I’m not this close,” He had pressed a thumb and forefinger together firmly, “to dying.”

The swirling hues of supernovas and stars, distant planets teeming with life, begging to be explored were in Peter’s sight. He stood in the heart of the spaceship, facing what he assumed was the windscreen; next to him were a series of controls. “Ned’s gonna freak,” He said. “Karen? Can you film something for me?”

“Sure, Peter. My systems are offline, so it’s basically all I can do.” The familiar voice of his suit’s AI filled his ears. A red button in the corner of his vision blinked – the video had started.

“So, you know when I said to cause a distraction? Well, I kinda ended up in space. Dude, oh my god, it’s so cool. Look at that!” He pointed at a meteorite flying past the spaceship, entering the atmosphere of a hazy planet to his right.

“Look at what?” Asked Tony behind him. The dim glow of his Arc Reactor blurred the camera for a second before Karen adjusted the focus. His chestnut hair was tousled, the bags under his eyes predominant. Peter could hear his heart beating way too fast. He was smiling, though – his million-dollar grin that made everything seem alright. “Are you filming?”

“Uh, yeah!” Peter beamed. “Space is so cool, Mr. Stark. I’m documenting it for Ned so I can show him when I get back.”

“I’m back to Mr. Stark again? What made me revoke my Dad privileges?” Tony laughed, wrapping an arm around Peter’s shoulder and steering him to face the view. Peter stuck his tongue out.

“I thought he wasn’t your son, Stark,” Doctor Strange – with his sentimental cape – flew over, arms crossed below the pendant he wore around his neck. His hair didn’t move an inch as he did and his face looked sullen. _If the thing in the necklace is so important, why make it into something as obvious as a necklace?_ Peter thought.

“What do you want?” Tony deflected, pulling the Spiderling closer and staring at the sorcerer.

“Thanos is coming. We need a plan.”

~

“More magic!”

“Magic with a kick!” Peter popped out of the portal, embers spewing all over the infertile orange ground of the planet Titan. His spidey-sense was on fire, his fingers trembling with nerves. It didn’t help that Doctor Strange had figured out they only had a one in a million chance of winning against the extra-terrestrial grape. _So much for looking out for the little guy,_ Peter thought, shooting a web. _I’m fighting the most powerful man in the universe._ Tony hadn’t wanted him to fight, taking him aside and suggesting he wait it out until they’d taken him down, but Peter had refused. If he refused maybe he would lead to their downfall.

“Magic with a –“ Thanos pulled him out of the air with an angry purple fist, his fingers tightening around Peter’s throat. “Insect,” He sneered, throwing him a good ten metres.

“Kid!” Mr. Stark called from inside his suit. “You alright?”

“M’fine!” Peter yelled back, swinging over to Thanos. Thanos had four stones already and was using them to his advantage – they didn’t seem to be causing any damage. In fact, he seemed to be growing stronger, a grin spreading across his face as Thanos watched them fight. Angry, Peter shot a web at his gauntlet , landing roughly on the terrain. _Bad mistake_ , he thought as Thanos pulled his hand back and threw the boy over his shoulder.

Peter shook his head and stood up. Doctor Strange had a grip on the titan’s left hand, his right held down by an electric current. He shot a web at Thanos’s armour-clad shoulder and pulled as tight as he could, his eyes squeezing shut. _C’mon Spider-man. Come on, Peter –_

There was a scream and a thud – Mantis was on Thanos’s shoulder’s her face screwed up in anguish. The space grape underneath her seemed to be as well, the his eyes milky.

“Parker?” Mr. Stark jerked him out of his thoughts. “Come on.” He abanonded his web and pulled at the glove with Tony. The older Peter landed next to them, smiling.

“Not so strong now, huh? For the record,” He boasted, his mask disintegrating, “This was my plan.”

“He mourns,” Cried Mantis.

“Gamora,” Nebula breathed, her robotic voice tinged with grief. “He went to Vormir with her and came back with the soul stone.”

There was a moment of silence in which Peter dared to look up. Quill’s mouth was agape. He looked defeated. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“Don’t – engage,” Mr. Stark huffed. The gauntlet was coming loose, detaching itself from the titan’s purple fist. “It’s coming, It’s coming,” Peter yelled.

Obviously Quill was kidnapped before he could see any good movies at all (Footloose did not count) and as a result missed the cliché of messing up the final battle scene by avenging his girlfriend. The older Peter threw a punch with his gun hand and all hell broke loose.

The snail lady was thrown into mid-air by the titan. Peter lost his grip on the gauntlet and Thanos snatched it back

Thanos’s eyes blinked open, the white-blank look fading. He snatched back the gauntlet with such ferocity that Spider-man went flying. Mantis was thrown into the air and Peter launched himself after her. There was a blast from behind him – the dumb ogre-man, Nebula and the older Peter were unconscious, knocked into the dirt.

When Peter stood up the stones in Thanos’s hand were twinkling. Behind him, debris was charging through the atmosphere, shrouded in fire and falling towards the ground. “I got you, I got you!” Peter webbed up his floating allies. “Sorry – I can’t remember anybody’s name!”

The thick dust that cloaked the planet filled the air. Peter’s senses were choked. He struggled for air, blinking rapidly underneath the Iron Spider mask. He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear yelling, blades whirring and the hectic sound of Doctor Strange’s magic. When it settled, Thanos was jeering down at Mr. Stark, his Iron Man suit crumbling. With a jolt, the teenager realised there was a weapon – one of Tony’s own piercing through his stomach and exiting cleanly out the back. _Oh my god, Dad._

Peter darted towards him, listening for Tony’s heartbeat. It was fluctuating rapidly, muffled by the metal of his suit. “Oh my god, oh my god,” He cried, leaping over the rubble and trash. The Spiderling scrambled over a piece of the planet’s moon and was thrown roughly to his right as the most powerful man in the universe disappeared.

~

Peter reached out a tentative hand to the billionaire slumped on the ground. A heavy sense of defeat hung in the air. They’d lost.

“Something is happening,” Mantis whispered. She was right – Peter’s spidey-sense was on fire.

A heavy sense of defeat hung in the air in Titan like a bad smell. They’d lost.

Peter bounded over to where the team was regrouping, a hand outstretched. The kid’s face was white, his jaw clenched. Tony could tell he was trying not to cry.

“Something is happening,” Mantis whispered. She raised her gaze from the dirt to Tony’s eyes.

Mantis’s torso disintegrated, her face crumpling with unshed tears as she melted into the atmosphere. Drax followed suit, staring uselessly at his hands.

 _This was it_ , Tony realised. Thanos had done exactly what he said he was going to do. The madman had snapped his fingers somewhere in the universe, and now fifty percent were leaving.

“Steady, Quill,” Said Tony. His chest was heaving, the planet spinning. Pepper was in danger and there was nothing he could do about it. Half of the universe was paying the price of their failure.

“Oh, man,” The old Peter breathed, and then he was gone.

“Tony.” Stark whirled around, one hand on Peter, one hand on his wound. “There was no other way.” The Doctor leant back into the embrace of the air, crumbling.

“Mr. Stark?”

Tony stopped. _No, no, not Peter, fuck, not Peter._

“I- I don’t feel so good,” Peter stumbled.

It felt like New York all over again. His chest was in a vice, his heart faulting under the grip of a fist, trachea rejecting the plant’s infected air. _Don’t you leave me kid, don’t you dare, please,_ his brain said, but all his lips supplied was “you’re alright.”

“I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t – stay?” Peter cried, falling into Tony’s arms. “I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go, Dad.”

 _Peter was holding on_ , Tony realised, blinking away unshed tears. _I love you, Peter_ , he tried to say. Nothing came out and Peter’s legs gave way.

“I’m sorry, Dad.” He breathed, staring up at Tony, his brown eyes tinged with red.

Tony reached out to hold onto him, but he was met with empty air – Peter was gone. He raised his head to the sky and screamed bitterly – _Why would you take him from me? Why would you give me the best thing that’s ever happened to me decades late and then rip him from my hands?_

Peter’s ashes fluttered around, mingling with Drax and Mantis and the annoying man from earth with bad music taste. There was nothing left for Tony to hold onto, nothing for him to have a proper funeral with. His boy was gone. Peter was gone, and he wasn’t coming back.


	6. We're in the Endgame, now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one time Tony called Peter "son".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey this is sad have a good day

 “Daddy!”

A five year old girl in a purple dress toddled up the rocky garden path, her hands clasped tightly together. She held them as far away from her body as her tiny arms could manage, tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she concentrated on climbing the lake house steps.

Watching from the veranda was a greying Tony Stark, still genius but not so much playboy. He smiled at his daughter. “What have you got there, Morgan?”

“A spider! You always say to take special care of them, so I brought you one! Here!” Morgan unclasped her fingers and dumped a scuttling spider into Tony’s outstretched hands.

“Thankyou, princess.” He watched as it raced over his fingertips and down his knuckles.

“What are you gonna name him?” Morgan pestered, her brown locks falling infront of her face as she climbed ontop of the chair next to her father. “Peter?  


It had been five years since Titan. Five long years since Tony lost his boy. Back on Earth, there had been signs of Peter everywhere. Homework sheets in the lab, half-completed webshooter designs on the dining table, Spider-Man memorabilia in every street and advertised on every webpage. Tony would crumple into tears at every single one.

Not even six months later, Capsicle was starting support groups. “Move on,” He said, handing Tony a black leaflet, embellished with the words _They’re gone – what’s next?_ “Move on,” Said Bruce, delving into science to understand the Hulk. “Move on?” Asked Pepper, a positive pregnancy stick in her outstretched hand.

 So Tony had bought a house. Secluded and peaceful, the perfect place to raise a kid. He had read thousands of books and watched millions of YouTube clips on parenting, swearing on his life he wasn’t going to be another Howard. And then, a year after Morgan was born, FRIDAY managed to get Karen’s systems back, and recovered Peter’s space vlog, and Tony crumbled.

He painted the spare room a dark red, filled it with Star Wars posters and box sets, unboxed Lego death stars and old gaming consoles. He placed the now-finished webshooters on his desk next to the unfinished chemistry homework Peter would never complete, and cried.

From that day forward, Tony stopped bottling up Peter’s memory. He picked up baby Morgan and told her stories of her superhero brother, saving New York City and old ladies with lost tabby cats. They would sit together on the couch, Pepper watching fondly, as FRIDAY played his much-loved “Peter” file, filled of self-recorded imitations from Karen and voicemails forwarded from Happy.

_I wish that you could see me now, kiddo._

“What about Bob?” Morgan suggested. The spider was now climbing up Tony’s sleeve, attacking the fibres with its spindly legs.

“Bob’s an old name,” Said Tony, pulling Morgan onto his lap. Morgan giggled. “Like you!”

“Hey! I’m not _that_ old. I’ve still got all my hair, unlike Uncle Rhodey.”

Morgan laughed, swinging her legs. She turned to face the lake, watching the ducks pass across the still water. “Daddy?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Tell me a Peter story.”

~

Tony stared at the Avengers compound. The building itself looked as though it were grieving – there were no lights shining in the windows, no super soldiers sprinting around the fields. No excited sixteen year old bounded out of the doors, running at full speed with a huge grin.

“Didn’t think you’d come,” Steve said, his face sullen.

“Yeah, well,” Tony closed the door to his orange car with an exaggerated slam. “I’m doing this for the kid.”

~

_Whatever it takes._

If that sentence included building a time machine to retrieve the stones destroyed by the stones – mind fuck – then so be it.

Tony sat in his old lab. It had been left untouched for the good part of half a decade – the beakers and scrap metal still littered around the workspace. The genius saved a video labelled “ _Morgan_ ” to file with a couple of others and leant back in his chair, sighing.

“Hey Pete,” He said, as FRIDAY announced the camera was rolling. “I don’t know what’s about to happen. I think,” Tony took a deep breath, his lungs rattling, “I think I have to sacrifice myself for everyone to come back.” He paused, cracking his index finger absentmindedly. “I just built a time machine. We’re gonna go and  get the stones and bring you back, kiddo.

I miss you every day. You made me so much better – hell, you made everything so much better. Nat misses you, even Happy misses you, boy, that’s depressing. I, um – if something goes down and I don’t get to tell you this, I’m gonna be pretty pissed. So I’m recording it. I just want you to know – all of this we’re doing – it’s for you. I just want you come home.”

~

The portals were opening. Doctor Strange and Wong’s ember-spewing circles opened up across the battlefield, illuminating the purple-blue sky and the chaos about to unfold. What used to be the Avengers Compound now stood as a battleground, ruined and obliterated by the forces of Thanos, once again. _Whatever it takes,_ Tony reminded himself.

Tony watched his nightmare turn his ugly, purple head towards the Avengers side in shock. He followed his gaze.

People were bursting through the portals, running to assemble. Wakandan warriors, Avengers, sorcerers and extra-terrestrial life. Tony recognised a grieving Wanda among the midst, Black Panther and the Winter Soldier. He kept scanning the ground, heart pounding. A whoop followed by a familiar _thwip_ perked his ears up. Tony let out a sob of anguish underneath the Iron Man helmet. He retracted it and turned around.

Peter was still wearing the Iron Spider suit he wore on Titan. His brown eyes were full of joy, his smile blinding. “Mr Stark! Oh my god, you will not believe what just happened! We were in the soul stone, and then Doctor Strange was like-“

In one swift movement, the genius swept Peter up in his arms, oblivious to the battle raging on around them. _It can wait,_ Tony thought. “What are you doing?” Peter’s asked quietly, melting into the embrace. “This is nice.”   


“I missed you so much,” Said Tony. “I love you so much, **son**.”

~

Peter’s body was pumped full of adrenaline. He’d barely had any time to comprehend what was happening  - Thanos was still alive and wreaking havoc, trying to get the stones again. He hadn’t wanted to leave his Dad – he wanted to stay in his warm embrace forever. _I love you so much, son,_ he had said. Fueled by the comment, Peter drove through chitauri forces, holding the gold gauntlet in one hand, webbing with another.

“Hey Peter Parker,” A lady addressed him, her skin glowing and buzzing with energy he’d never seen before as the Spiderling tumbled into a ditch. “You got something for me?”

Peter handed over the gauntlet without a second thought – she seemed Avenger-y. Peter webbed down to where Mr. Stark was fighting, his Iron Man suit looking new and improved. Beside him was a blue suit of armour – unlike Rhodey’s and Mr. Starks. _Pepper?_ He thought, heart sinking. _How long have I been gone?_

Suddenly, the noise on the battlefield was extinguished like a flame from the lighters on display in Mr. Delmar’s store. Thanos’s purple fist once more held the gauntlet, a sickening smirk painted across his face. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony flew in, a last resort, but was thrown to the side.

“I am inevitable,” Thanos cried, his fingers snapping together. Somebody screamed – Peter waited for his Spidey Sense to go haywire, for his body to disintegrate. Nothing happened. The Titan looked confused, down at his fist, at the missing stones.

Tony stark, across the battlefield, shielded by a piece of the compound, wielded the stones held in place by his Nano-Tech suit. He wore a grim face and Peter suddenly remembered Doctor Strange on Titan – “ _It was the only way.” He’s going to sacrifice himself_ , he realised, heart thudding. _Please, no,_ He begged the universe _. I only just got him back._

“And I,” Tony Stark began. The power of the stones was travelling up his arm, illuminating the suit of armour. He was breathing heavily, supporting himself on the debris. Every set of eyes swivelled to him. “Am Iron Man.”

There was a snap that resounded across the battlefield. The once-great Titan’s warriors stared at their hands, and then their leader as they turned to ash. Thousands of soldiers perished, wilting into the ground, their remains cloaking the sky.

“Dad,” Peter whispered, shooting a web and swinging down to where his father lay, the burden of wielding the infinity stones clear. Tony’s arm had taken the worst of the hit, his body burnt and blackened by the power. Peter listened to his heartbeat. “You did it, sir,” Peter sobbed, choking the words out through his tears. “You did it, Dad, we won.”

Tony looked blearily up at his son, a stray tear falling freely from his eye as he smiled. “You can rest now, Tony,” Pepper sobbed.

Slowly, the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist – _father_ – closed his eyes, surrounded by the people he loved most in the world. Peter listened, as Tony’s heartbeat slowed and stopped forever.

~

“So yeah. I’m sorry you had to go through this again, Pete. I’m just so glad I met you, kid. Don’t stop doing what you’re doing – but I swear to god, do not do anything dangerous or I’ll get Aunt May to beat your ass.”

Peter sobbed freely, tears cascading down his cheeks as the recorded hologram of Tony spoke. “You’re welcome at my home – Morgan – oh, she’s so like you, Pete. You’ll love her – you’re her brother. You’ve got a room here,” Past Tony scratched the back of his neck, smiling. Even though he was a recording, he stared into Peter’s eyes in a way that made him feel as though he was still alive, about to round the corner wearing an expensive blazer and a cheap Walmart shirt, and the teenager felt a smile creep up on his face.

 “You’re family, now. I love you, Peter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the end! thank you all for reading :)


End file.
